First Full Smartphone Commuter Rail Ticketing System in U.S. Launched

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and mobile transit ticketing company Masabi jointly announced the service.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and mobile transit ticketing company Masabi US Ltd, today announced the launch of the United States' first full smartphone commuter rail ticketing system.

Commuters can now purchase and display rail tickets and passes using the MBTA mTicket app for iPhone and Android, with Blackberry devices supported soon, said the agency. The tickets are displayed on the phone’s screen as an encrypted barcode and as a readable ticket. The app can be found by searching for ‘MBTA mTicket’ in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

To do this, the MBTA is using Masabi's "JustRide" product, which offers consumer-facing applications, management console, backend servers, payment integration and scanning/validation software for train conductors. Masabi's mobile ticketing technology is currently being used by several U.K. transit agencies.

“The new MBTA mTicket application is the latest innovation from MassDOT and the MBTA,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO, Richard A. Davey, in a statement. “Customers will now have the ability to purchase tickets without waiting in lines meaning they get more time back in their day and more control over their commute.”

Bryan Yurcan is associate editor for Bank Systems and Technology. He has worked in various editorial capacities for newspapers and magazines for the past 8 years. After beginning his career as a municipal and courts reporter for daily newspapers in upstate New York, Bryan has ... View Full Bio